TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The third practice of the preseason had a slightly different feel to it as Florida State football put on the shoulder pads for the first time since spring ball.

Despite sticking with the shorts and mostly staying off the ground, Thursday night’s tune-up offered a glimpse into who has playmaking abilities and who can be in the right spots in well-simulated situations.

“Good, hot day. (It was) a little more strenuous practice, a little longer,” FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “(We) got the pads on, got to bang around- stayed off the ground- but got a lot of contact. Saw some good things, saw some things we’ve got to work on, but good attitude, good demeanor, and we’ll keeping grinding on what we’ve got to grind on, (which is) normal, but I’m not disappointed at all.

“We’ve seen guys can make plays and now again, (we’ve got) to make sure we’re accountable enough to get consistent enough. (On the) first day of pads, everybody gets a little over-aggressive, you get caught up in all that stuff. Tomorrow it will probably settle down…good day.”

Conditioning is one of the most important aspects to develop early in the preseason and remains a focal point by Fisher and his focal staff. The brunt of the work put in through three practice days has involved setting the right tempo and getting his players adjusted right away.

“You work on motions, you work on alignments and you set a tempo for practice,” Fisher said about the team drills FSU has been working on. “How to come off the ball, how to sprint, how to get down the field, just to sweat, get a tempo, and you get to rep some of your motions and some of your ‘junk plays.’ You get a few more reps there- and set a tempo for practice.”

The Seminoles will continue practice in shoulder pads and shorts on Friday before donning full pads for Day 5 of fall camp on Saturday.

FSU to Hold Open Practice Sunday

Florida State football will hold an open practice this Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at Doak Campbell Stadium. Gate C will be open beginning at 3:30 p.m. for fans to attend the practice. A portion of the west side stands will be open for spectating.

If practice is moved from the stadium because of weather concerns it will be closed to spectators due to safety and space limitations. The Seminoles look forward to having their fans get a first look at the 2016 team and the nearly completed renovations inside Doak Campbell Stadium.

FSU Credit Union Fan Day on Sunday

Florida State football supporters have a chance to meet and receive autographs from their favorite players and coaches this Sunday. The FSU Credit Union Fan Day will be held on Sunday, Aug. 14 from noon-2 p.m. at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Admission is free and the doors will open at 11 a.m.

Sunday’s fan fest will also include appearances by Osceola, Renegade and the FSU cheerleaders. Fans are asked to limit one item per person for autographs in an effort to keep the lines moving.

Head Coach Jimbo Fisher Post Practice Quotes – Aug. 11, 2016

Opening statement

“Alright, third day. Good, hot day. (It was) a little more strenuous practice, a little longer. (We) got the pads on, got to bang around, stayed off the ground, but got a lot of contact. Saw some good things, saw some things we’ve got to work on, but good attitude, good demeanor, and we’ll keeping grinding on what we’ve got to grind on, (which is) normal, but I’m not disappointed at all. We’ve seen guys can make plays and now again, (we’ve got) to make sure we’re accountable enough to get consistent enough. (On the) first day of pads, everybody gets a little over-aggressive, you get caught up in all that stuff. Tomorrow it will probably settle down…good day.”

On sophomore defensive back Derwin James’ progress from his injury

“We didn’t put him in pads, but we’re just doing a bunch of drills because what I want to make sure is – what happened with his heel, and we’ve got that good – but what happens is you get atrophy in muscles around it. He’s been on the field for a certain amount of time. We’re going to do a certain amount of training and simulated practice and get him up there and make sure everything around it and how he’s sore and get that out of there before we let him hit. So he should be coming very quickly. It could be before the week is over. It could even be all the way until next Wednesday. We’ll see what I want to see here. We’ll see how he responded but he’s been responding super so he’s doing really good right now.”

On team drills:

“You work on motions, you work on alignments and you set a tempo for practice – how to come off the ball, how to sprint, how to get down the field, just to sweat, get a tempo, and you get to rep some of your motions and some of your ‘junk plays. ‘You get a few more reps there and set a tempo for practice.”

On freshmen kickers Logan Tyler and Ricky Aguayo:

“Okay. For the most part, they’ve kicked pretty well. I think Ricky (Aguayo) missed one or two today but came back and hit the kicks after. Logan (Tyler) was kicking pretty good. They’re kicking the ball very solidly, very solidly.”